Preventing Disaster: How To Avoid Three Common Office Disasters

We’ve all been there. Disaster has settled upon the office, and we’re not sure what to do. Not a natural disaster, nothing earth shattering on a larger scale, but when files go missing, passwords are lost in a pinch, or an important meeting/deadline/appointment is missed? Things feel pretty scary. Organization is key to running a healthy, smooth business. We all know that, but the truth is sometimes it’s hard to keep up. When you have a million things on your plate, it’s hard to keep everything straight and organized without help. Unless you’re one of those rare people who are utterly obsessed with organization. But if you’re a business owner, you’re likely a thought leader, a dreamer, and entrepreneur… and those amazing, rare qualities don’t always mean you’re also organized. You’re a human, not a super human after all! Hiring help is always a great step, but what should you make sure your Virtual Assistant does to help you avoid the disasters we just described? Step number one? Don’t panic.

Files are missing, now what? 

When files go missing, panic might set in. If it’s important enough to file, it’s something you need to keep track of. You definitely don’t want to panic, and taking a moment or a full day to relax, assess, and think things through is mandatory. Typically a little space between you and the issue will create a calm that’s good enough to help you remember where you placed the missing item OR it will allow you the time to think about what was in the file and then go from there. But the best route? Put plans in place so nothing is lost to begin with. Invest in a quality external drive and regularly back up your files. For extremely important files, backing up in more than one location is a great idea. You can task your Virtual Assistant with making copies and back ups and putting them in a cloud drive as a back up to your physical hard drive copies. The extra steps required to make sure your files are backed up in multiple locations (especially if those files are extremely important) is worth the extra work for you or your Virtual Assistant. Since most VAs work truly virtually, you may not be able to have your VA scan in physical files, but spending the time it takes to get this done is well worth it and much more convenient. Missing files can spell disaster, so put a plan in place and ensure it doesn’t happen to you. 

You’re in a pinch and don’t know your password. Avoid the headache…

Keeping up with a dozen plus passwords is annoying to say the least. We’ve talked before about using a password protection app or program to keep up with all of your passwords, and we can’t keep recommending it enough! Keeping your passwords in an easy to access place like a password protecting app is extremely important for any business owner who is on the go. You need quick access for yourself and your team to any and all passwords without the headache of needing to reset the password each time. Make your passwords strong and follow all recommended password guidelines. Then store those passwords and user names in a secure place. If you are the person with a note on your phone or a sticky note in your desk draw with passwords scribbled down in a hurry, this is your sign. Reset all of your passwords to be strong, good passwords and then store them securely. Taking the time to do this now will help you avoid headaches in the future. 

Missing meetings and appointments is unprofessional, keep organized and keep on track.

We’ve all had that sinking, “I’m supposed to be somewhere” feeling followed by the awful realization that we just missed something that was extremely important. It has happened to everyone at least once in their life. Good organization and a process for confirming appointments that your Virtual Assistant can help you keep track of is important and key to remaining professional and on time every time. Have your VA make it a part of their regular routine to check with you about new appointments that need to be confirmed. Make sure that you confirm in person meetings the day before and send reminders the morning of to ensure you’re not driving all over town only to be stood up by someone who is less organized than you are. And of course, keep your calendar clean and check it regularly to ensure you don’t miss any appointments or leave anyone else hanging. Sync your calendar and your Calendly or zoom or team meetings to make sure everything shows up, but also have your VA regularly double check to make sure everything has properly moved onto your calendar. Sometimes there can be a scheduling sync snafu which leaves something off your daily calendar. Having your Virtual Assistant manually check these appointments on a regular basis is a great habit that will keep you on time, every time. 

Staying organized is tedious but simple. 

Put plans in place to stay organized and on top of your responsibilities and tasks. There are countless tools that can make it easier to keep things organized and safe, but a great Virtual Assistant is perhaps the best tool to utilize of all. Your Virtual Assistant can learn your habits and schedules and help keep you on track. If you’re having a hard time staying organized, don’t worry. You’re in good company. Keep your priorities straight and keep crushing goals as the leader of your business, and allow your assistant to help you organize the logistics of your day to day operations, your calendars, and your files. Putting plans in place to stay organized and avoid disaster is worth the effort. For more tips and help with organizing your business, reach out to Lissie Lu Virtual Assisting for more information about ways a VA can make take the tedious work off your plate making more time for reaching your goals. 

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